A mother escapes an abusive relationship and stays with a friend until she can safely return home to collect her things. When she does, she discovers that her partner, in a vengeful act, has destroyed or damaged all of her belongings, including her baby items. Another mother finds that her daughter, single and homeless, is pregnant. Financially strapped herself, the mother allows her daughter to move in.

It was stories like this that moved Marshall Johnson, an accomplished nonprofit professional, wife and mother of two, to help in some way. In November 2016, she launched Greenville’s Gift, a non-profit dedicated to clothing newborns in need in the Greenville community.

“Every child is a gift,” Johnson says. “And every child deserves to be showered with gifts and celebrated from day one. Unfortunately, not every child comes into this world with everything they need.”

The statistics are heart-breaking. According to Johnson, 40 percent of the 6,000 babies born in Greenville County each year are in need. In 2016, the youngest mother was only 11-years-old.

Greenville’s Gift works with established local organizations, like Nurse Family Partnership and Serenity Place, to identify the mothers and babies in need.

Johnson partners with local businesses, churches and organizations to collect new and gently used baby clothes, blankets, bibs, burp cloths, and children’s books. A band of volunteers meet regularly to assemble the gift bags with 28 carefully selected baby items.

In just over a year, Greenville’s Gift has helped more than 300 mothers and babies.

“Greenville is such a generous community,” Johnson says. “I have been overwhelmed by the support and by the way the idea has taken off. Friends, community partners, businesses, that’s what makes this all work. It does take a village to raise a child.”

WANT TO HELP?

You can help by donating new and gently used clothing, sizes up to 12 months, burp clothes and blankets, host a clothing drive, volunteer or simply make a financial donation. For more information, visit www.greenvillesgift.org.